For A Creamy Vegan Mango Lassi, Use This Non-Dairy Yogurt

There are few things as satisfying as a cold beverage on a hot day or in a moment when you're particularly parched. If you're a fan of Indian cuisine, a mango lassi could definitely hit the spot. Creamy and cool, mango lassi is a yogurt-based blended drink typically made with mango, yogurt, milk, and ice. This sweet treat is simple enough for you to make and enjoy at home, but if you follow a vegan diet, there's a slight tweak needed to ensure that a mango lassi fits into your nutritional needs.

The standard mango lassi involves two dairy ingredients that vegans would typically avoid: yogurt and milk. It's nearly impossible to come across a coffee shop these days that doesn't offer plant-based milk alternatives or dessert shops without non-dairy ice cream options. So it's now easier than ever to create your own spin on non-vegan recipes to make them suitable for your lifestyle. Using a plant-based product like coconut yogurt is a fantastic way to do so while still maintaining the desired flavor profile and texture of a traditional mango lassi.

Coconut yogurt, for one, has become a popular choice for vegans to enjoy smoothies, yogurt bowls, and cold treats. This particular ingredient adds both a tang and the creaminess you want from a traditional mango lassi, and it also adds a subtle coconut flavor — perfect for a refreshing and sweet ending to a meal. If you opt to add milk into your recipe as well, you can pair coconut yogurt with coconut milk to double down on the mild and pleasant taste and add extra smoothness.

In Indian culture, a cool mango lassi is typically enjoyed as a post-meal beverage because of its digestive benefits. The yogurt used in a lassi offers probiotics that are helpful for regulating the body's digestion and promoting a healthy gut biome. If you're vegan and can't consume dairy products, you'll be pleased to find that substituting coconut yogurt in your homemade mango lassi doesn't force you to sacrifice those probiotic benefits — coconut yogurt is also packed with them.

Additionally, most coconut yogurt varieties offer a healthy amount of a beneficial type of saturated fat, which is known for its positive impact on things like heart health, cholesterol levels, and gut health. If you're mindful of the caloric or sugar makeup in your foods, you can opt for an unsweetened coconut yogurt, as most flavored options will include added sugars and a bit higher of a calorie count.